Device for cooling by immersion in a chilled liquid



Sept. 23, 1947. F. J. M MICHAEL DEVICE FOR COOLING BY IMMERSION IN ACHILLED Filed Nov. 28, 1944,

LIQUID 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

Sept, 23, 1947. F. J. M MICH AEL 2,427,359

DEVICE FOR COOLING BY IMMERSION IN A CHILLED LIQUID Filed Nov. 28, 19443 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 23, 1947. F. J. MCMICHAEL 2,427,869

DEVICE'FCR COOLING BY IMMERSIQN IN A CHILLED LIQUID Filed;Nov. 28, 19443 Sheets-Sheet 3 FlOydJ Patented Sept. 23, 1947 DEVICE FORL'COOLING BYmrvrrmstor; IN A a cm En r Um l Floyd J. McMichael, rlando,Fla. Y

' Application November 28, 1 944, Serial No; 565,490

- 1 i This invention relates display. unit especially adapted for use inmarkets, grocery stores, and the like for displaying green vegetablesfor convenient self-service by the customer.

In order that green vegetables on display may retain their freshappearance and maximum food value. it is necessary that they beprevented from becoming dry, withered, or rendered limp by heat. To thisend, the expedient of more or 8, Claims. (01. 62-855 s to an improvedproduce I provide a display unit whereiminone variation thereof, therefrigerating water will be-raised and lowered to immerse and drain theproduce, while, in'another variation. the'p'roduce'will be raised andlowered.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during thecourseof the following deless covering the vegetables with cracked icehas heretofore been employed, but such practice is subject to thedisadvantage that the ice. tends .to freeze into lumps and stickto theproduce. Also, the expedient of refrigerating the produce with cold airhas heretofore been tried butuin any such system, the vegetables soonbecome dry and withered. Further, the expedient of sprayingthe produce 1with cold water has heretofore been widely adopted, as-being thesimplest and easiest,-

of Figure 4'. i

but often the spray strikes the ,fioorabout-athe display trays to renderthe floor ,wet'with the result that the customer dislikes to approachthe trays. Moreover, an excess of waterrspraygtends to render theproduce water-loggedmnd slick.

It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide a displayunit wherein the produce on display will be chilled and moistenedby theapplication of .cold -,water,; without; spilling the water, accidentallywetting the customer,- or

wettingthe floor about the .displayiunit. z

.c A further, objector the-inventiontis'to provide a display unitvwherein coldwater will beapplied to the produce periodically, but[wherein the, applicatiomof the water may bearendered asinfrequent 'asdesired, so thatover-wetting of the ,pro- 7 :2

duce may be avoidedc-i f ;.Still another, biect of the invention isto,provide a display; unit whcrein the ,produce will b alternately immersedin the refr-igeratingwater,

I ingthesxtrawlowereds :f' 4

:In marrying theinventioninto meet; I'-' employ andlintermediateiydrained, to the end=that,-the

produce, at the center of a-;pile,thereon as, for

-in tance,,-a biplfull kal or pi chn-wi s eatt ac ao ttheipil h,;Anotherl pbiector ther ntentio ;is. to ro i e a display unit whereinthe produce.- .will beh im. mersed verylslqw yrso thatgtlle' W8rth-1nSte8d t ndies wa h. the Produce ou at he ns tlia tqr as w u d esu tt the r du mer imm e q q sly.,w g tlao rflowt p oduce and chill ,thesame ,,and1 wherein the recession, of the .waterwill be. causedto,itranspi;r.e" .withequal w t d a led as thbm s yasthe producescription, and in the'drawings'z Figure 1 is a front-'elevationotmyiniproved display unit. 1 H 5, 1..

Figure 2 is -a transverse, "vertical section on the line-Z-I ofFigure1.-"

H Figure -3 is a transverse, vertical sectionfon the1ine'33'0fFigure4.'-'

Figure! is a veItical,-'long-itudinal "section throu'ghthedevices l IFigure 5 is a horizontal sectlonon-the line 5-'-5 Figure 6 is afragmntarydetaiil showing the water supply rvalve employed. M :1 i=.;Figure 'Z-is a diagrammatic viewbf'the drive motor and-timerthereforta s Figure 8 is a diagrammatic detail' of thetimer wlt'chjfl(m-,1! w". ;o;1-.-. :1 midi-:31; 1

Figure 9 i is a" verticalf longitudinal section showing/amodification-0'1"'the invention wherein the produce trayis raised andlowered.- r 1 =Figure=fi10-is 'atransverse: -vertical section on theline-l0. ll] of Figure-9 and showing the tray raised-mu ,ii: I w 7155":-11; Figurewn'is'v a; transverse; ver

ical se'ction' sh wvan-oblongicasingilllrwhich niaybe of shesmetmorrother zapproved materiah Thi'sfcasiri'g is so whatihigher at one endportiontheredfit antli'e other to provide a' 'chaniber l I rhaving- 'atop wall 4 2 and, "ifwse FdeSiredY- said 'wall may *be suitably hingedto facilitate acce's'sgto said chairrlier:' 13epending Within-sthe'casing' atfthe' top thereofiin spaced-relation to the walls of thecasing "is an oblong produce tray-'- 13 which 'exteizds iro'lm thechamber H 'to 'aepoin't near the "end wall 'of the casing. opposite-saidichamberi tray may' 'be integral with said walls; as' showri; oriifpreferred,

detachably -fixed thereto' any "approved man nerfuan'd extendingtransversely of the trayare spaced partitions l4. As seen in F'igures2,-4 and m of *the drawmgs, theiside and en'd walls" ofthe tray" well 1as the-partitions are rovided with l5 may be readily removed so that thebins as well as the screens may be thoroughly cleaned.

Rising from the back wall of the casing l8 throughout the length of thetray |3.is an upwardly and forwardly curved hood |1 having and walls l8.This hood will tend to prevent currents of air from striking thevegetables on display in the bins i8, and suitably mounted on the hoodat the forward side thereof is a mirror I! disposed at such an anglethat a person standing in front of the display unit at a distancetherefrom may see the vegetables reflected in the mirror. At the upperlongitudinal edge of the hood I1 is a suitable, tubular electric lamp 28appropriately mounted for illuminating the vegetables.

Mounted to reciprocate within the casing i8 is an oblong refrigeratingpan 2|. This pan is provided with end walls 22 and 23 respectively, aswell as a partition wall 24, and 'a second partition wall 25 disposednear the wall 24. A machine compartment 28 is thus defined at one endportion of the pan between the end wall 23 and the partition wall 24,while a chilling compartment 21 is defined between the partition walls24 and 25. Both of these compartments are received within the chamber llof the casing l8 for free movement therein as the pan reciprocates.Defined between the partition wall 28 and the end wall 22 of the pan isan immersing compartment 28 adapted to more or less snugly but freelyreceive the tray l3 so that the pan may move upwardly over the tray, andformed in the partition wall 25 is an upper inlet opening 28 and a loweroutlet opening 38 connecting the compartments 2'! and 28, the partitionwall 24 being imperforate. Thus, a refrigerant 3| in the compartment 28may enter the compartment 21 through the opening 29 and flow therefromthrough the opening 38. Water is preferably used.as a refrigerant.

Mounted within the compartment 28 of the pan 2| is a suitable compressor32 adjacent which is arranged a motor 33 for driving the compressor, andmounted within the compartment 21 of the pan is a cooling unit34connected with the compressor by feed and return pipes 38 and 38respectively. Thus, a refrigerating medium compressed by the compressor32 will be fed to the unit 34 through the pipe 38 to return to thecompressor through the pipe 38. The compressor 32, motor33, unit 34 andassociated parts may be elements of a system of any conventionalcharacter, of whichthere are several systems of the kind on the market.Leading through the bottom wall of the casing I8 is a flexible watersupply conduit 31 connected to the compressor 32 for cooling the same,and leading from the compressor is a flexible drain conduit 38 providinga discharge for the water flowing through the compressor. Branching fromthe conduit 31 is a pipe 38 which, as seenin detail in Figure 6 of thedrawings, enters the compartment 21 of the pan 2| and, at its upper end,carries asuitable float-com. trolled inlet-valve 48 having a float 4|.As will be understood,.the float and-valve will function to maintain therefrigerant 3| at a more or less constant level in the compartments 21and 28 of the pan.

Mounted upon the partitions 24 and 28 of the pan 2| is a suitablemotor-driven agitator 42 having blades 43 disposed over the cooling unit34 below the levelof the refrigerant 3| in the chamber 21, and leadingthrough the bottom wall of the casing l8 to the motor of said unit aswell as to the motor 33 of the compressor 32 is a flexible cable 44 forsupplying current to said meters Thus, when the agitator 42 is inoperation, the refrigerant 3| in the compartment 28 of the pan willbedrawn in through the opening 28 of the partition wall 28 and thencirculated over and around the cooling unit 34 within the compartment21, when the refrigerant will be returned to the compartment 28 throughthe outlet 38. The refrigerant in the compartment 28 will accordingly bekept chilled and, of course, the compressor 32 and unit 34 will be of acapacity to maintain said refrigerant at the desired low temperature. Aswill be perceived, the flexible conduits 31 and 38 as well as theflexible cable 44 will accommodate the rise and fall of the pan 2|.

Upstanding from the bottom wall of the casing l8 medially thereof arealigned pedestals 48 upon which is journaled a crank shaft 48 havingcranks 41, and fixed to the end of said shaft are disks 48 which carrypins 48 having the same throw as the crank pins of the cranks 41.Mounted upon the end wall 22 of the pan 2| and upon the partition 24medially of the pan and near the upper edge thereof are pins 88, andextending between said pins and the pins 48 of the disks 48 areconnecting rods 8|. As best seen in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, aslot 82 is provided in the bottom wall of the pan at the compartment 28to accommodate the connecting rod attached to the partition wall 24.Fixed to the bottom wall of the pan in a plane with the pins 88 arespaced yokes 83, and extending between said yokes and the cranks 41 areconnecting rods 84. Accordingly, as will be seen, rotation of the shaft48 will cause the pan 2| to reciprocate, and flxed to the side walls ofthe pan near the ends thereof are pairs of vertically spaced rollers 88coacting with the side walls of the casing |8 to guide the pan forrectilinear movement. If desired, tracks 88 may be provided for saidrollers.

Mounted upon the crank shaft 48 near one end thereof is a Wiley 51, andmounted upon the bottom wall of the casing |8 near said pulley is amotor 88 connected with the pulley by a suitable belt 89 for rotatingthe crank shaft. Mounted upon the bottom wall of the casing adjacent themotor 88 is a timer 88. As brought out in Figure 4 of the drawings, themotor 88 and timer 88 are supplied with current by the cable 44.

The timer 88 may be of any approved character but, as brought out inFigures 7 and 8 of the drawings, is shownas having a motor 8| which isconnected across the circuit of the motor 88 and drives a cam 82 tocoact with a switch 83 interposed in the circuit of the motor 88.Preferably, the stem of the switch is provided with an insulating roller84 to engage the cam and said switch may be mounted to gravitate to openposition or may be spring-pressed to open position. Thus, when the cam82 lifts the switch to closed position, the motor 88 will function torotate the shaft 48 and reciprocate the pan 2| as previously describedwhile, when the switch 83 is open, the pan will remain stationary.Preferably, the motor 88 will be stopped when the pan is near-the bottomof its throw.

Assuming now that the bins l8 of the tray |3 are filled with vegetables,it will be seen that when the motor 88 is started into operation, thepan 2| will be raised from the position shown in .Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawings to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the tray will bereceived within the compartment 28 of the pan. As the pan ascends, therefrigerantv 3| in the pan will accordingly be caused to enter the binsaeaaeee duction gears so that the pan ill will be raised very slowlyand, likewise, will be lowered very slowly. Thus, the refrigerant 3|will be caused to gradually'rise through the screens l5 about thevegetables and as gradually recede through said screens. out of the binsI6. Furthermore, the interval during which the vegetables-are wholly orsubstantially immersed will be prolonged asthe pan will approach thelimit of its upward movement very slowly and descend with equalslowness. The refrigerant 3| will thus be afforded opportunity topermeate the-piles of vegetables in the bins so that the vegetables atthe centers of the piles will be drenched equally with the vegetables atthe surface of said piles.

In connection with the upward movement'of the pan 2|, the necessity ofcirculating the refrigerant 3| downwardly through the chillingcompartment 21, instead of upwardly therethrough, should be noted. .Asthe pan ascends, the tray l3 will, as willbe observed, first'somewhatblock theinlet opening 29 connecting the compartment 28 of the pan withsaidchliling compartment 50 that the flowof the refrigerant Thevegetables will thus not be washed will, of course, be proportioned tohold the switch 53 closed long enough for the motor 53 to complete thecycle of raising and lowering the pan 2i Leading from the bottom 'of thepan 2| is an outlet 66, and interposed insaid outlet is a valve 61.Disposed opposite the discharge end of said outlet is a drain S8 at theupper end of which is a suitable trap 69, Thus, the tray l3 as well asthe pan may be readily fiushedand cleaned.

- In Figures 9, 10 and llof the drawings, I have shown avariation of theinvention-wherein the refrigerating pan is stationary andthe producetray is raised and lowered. The pan is indicated 7 at 10. This pan ismounted upon supp rts H, and extending transversely of the pan near oneend thereof is a partition wall 12 dividing the pan into a chillingcompartment 13 and an immersing compartment I l. Risingthrough thecomparte ment [3 is a duct 15 one side of which is formed by thepartition Wall 12, and formed in said will 3| into the chillingcompartment will be correspondingly restricted. Likewise, as the panreaches the end of its upward movement, the outlet opening 30 0f thechilling compartment will be somewhat blocked by the tray, but as the Iing aawmie the compressor82 and motor 83- inlet opening 29 will also beblocked at thesame time, the blades 43 of the agitator 42 may then onlychurn the body of refrigerant in the chilling compartment, more or'less,without'raising the level of said body of refrigerant to flood thechilling compartment. If, on the contrary, the blades 43 of the agitator42 operated to circulate the refrigerant upwardly through the chillingcompartment 21, it will at once be seen that before the opening 30became blocked, more refrigerant would be drawn into the chillingcompartment 2'! than could be discharged therefrom through the blockedopening 29 with the result that the chilling compartment would. beflooded. It is therefore important that the refrigerant be circulateddownwardly through the chilling compartment in the manner previouslydescribed. Since it is desirable that the vegetables be immersed onlyinfrequently, the timer 60 is provided. Preferably, the motor SI of thetimer will work through reduction ears so that the cam 62 will. berotated to close the switch 63 with corresponding infrequency. However,the motor BI is of such character that the speed thereof may be variedand to this end a suitable switch 65 is provided. Thus, by selectivelyvarying the speed of the motor, the length of the interval during whichthe switch'63 will remain open may be correspondingly varied to in turnvary the length of theperiod during which the pan 2| will remainlowered. In any event, it is intended that a considerable period of timewill elaps between the periods that the motor 58 is energized so thatthe vegetables in the bins l6 will be immersed with correspondinglnfrequency. The cam 62 are inlet and outlet openings (6 and 1!respectively, which'openings are adapted to accommodate the flow of arefrigerant l8 downwardly through the chilling compartment.

The cooling unit is indicated at 19, the agitator at 80, and thefioat-controlledwater supply valve at 8|, all of these parts beingidenticalwith the corresponding parts first described and functioning inlike manner. Since the pan is station'ary, the compressor 82 and drivemotor 83 for said compressor'are' mounted upon the bottom wall of thecasing 84 instead of upon the pan, as in the preferred embodiment of theinvention. The casing 84corresponds, of course,-to the cascorrespond tothe compressor 32 and motor 33 first described and function inlike-manner, ,Therefrigerant' 18, in the pan -will thus be kept chilled.'I'heprod'uce trayis indicated at, 85 This tray is adapted to be freely,received in the'compartment," of; the pan- 10 and is provided'withpartitions 86 defining bins. Bfl havingremovablezbottom screen 88.Guiding the tray for; rectilinear movement are rollers 89 disposed tocoact-with tracks 90 and with the. side. walls of the pad":

The tray is reciprocate'd ln the same way as the .pani2lfirst "describedand in the same man'- 1161'. Mounted below the pan'wis a shaft 94, andextending between disks 92 on the shaft and the ends of the tray areconnecting rods 93, one of which, as will be observed, is accommodatedby the duct 15 which is provided for the purpose. The shaft 9: is drivenby a motor 94 corresponding to the motor 58, and controlling the motor94 is a timer 95, corresponding to the timer 60. Thus, the tray 85 willbe reciprocated for immersing inthe refrigerant 18 vegetables in thebins 81. Otherwise, this variation of the invention is identical withthe preferred embodiment thereof and further description is accordinglybelieved unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A produce display unit including a casing, a tray arranged within thecasing and adapted to receive produce for display, a refrigerating panadapted to contain a refrigerant and formed to receive said tray thereinimmersing the produce in said refrigerant, means for maintaining saidrefrigerant chilled, the tray and pan providing complemental members onemovable relative to the other within the casing for immersing saidproduce, means shiftably mounting said movable member, and means forshifting said movable member periodically.

2. A produce display unit including a casing, a tray arranged within thecasing and adapted to receive produce for display, a refrigerating panadapted to contain a refrigerant and formed to receive said tray thereinimmersing the produce in said refrigerant, means for maintaining saidrefrigerant chilled, the tray and pan providing complemental members onemovable relative to the other within the casing for immersing saidproduce, means shiftably mounting said movable member, means forshifting said movable member periodically, and means for varying thefrequency of the shifting of said movable member.

3. A produce display unit including a -casing, a tray arranged withinthe casing and adapted to receive produce for display, a refrigeratingpan adapted to contain a refrigerant and formed to receive said traytherein immersing the produce in said refrigerant, means for maintainingsaid refrigerant chilled, the tray and pan providing complementalmembers one movable relative to the other within the casing forimmersing said produce, means disposed between the easing and saidmovable member to coact therewith for guiding the movable member forrectilinear movement, a drive shaft having crank pins, connecting rodsextending between said pins and said movable member, and means forrotating said shaft and shifting said movable member.

4. A produce display unit including a casing,

.a tray arranged within the casing and adapted to receive produce fordisplay, a refrigerating pan adapted to contain a refrigerant and formedto receive said tray therein immersing the produce in said refrigerant,means for maintaining said refrigerant chilled, the tray and panproviding complemental members one movable relative to the other withinthe casing for immersing said produce, means disposed between the casingand said movable member to coact therewith for guiding the movablemember for rectilinear movement, a drive shaft having crank pins,connecting rods extending between said pins and said movable member, amotor for rotating said shaft and shifting said movable member, and atimer controlling the energization of said motor.

5. A produce display unit including a casing. a

tray supported by the casing to depend therein and adapted to receiveproduce for display, a refrigerating pan adapted to contain arefrigerant and movable upwardly about the tray for immersing theproduce in said refrigerant, means guiding the pan for rectilinearmovement, and means for raising and lowering said pan.

6. A produce display unit including a casing,

a tray supported by the casing to depend therein refrigerating panadapted to contain a refrigerant and movable upwardly about the tray forimmersing the produce in said refrigerant, means for guiding the pan,means for raising and lowering the pan including a drive motor, and atimer controlling the energization of said motor.

8. A produce display unit including a casing,

a refrigerating pan mounted within the casing and adapted to contain arefrigerant, a tray adapted to receive produce for display and movabledownwardly into said pan for immersing the produce in said refrigerant,means for guiding the tray, means for raising and lowering the trayperiodically, and means for varying the frequency of the movement of thetray.

FLOYD J. McMICI-IAEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 821,503 Keith May 22, 19061,692,672 Loosley Nov. 20, 1928 1,846,192 Daniels Feb. 23, 19322,303,000 Ribble Nov. 24, 1942

